Tuesday, March 26, 2019

L30 - SHAME ON WORLD SAILING


No, that is not the L30 but the Sun fast 3300, one of the boats that should have been on the contest to chose the boat for the new World Sailing's Offshore World Championship 2020, this and other suitable sailboats for solo or duo offshore sailing like the Figaro 3,  with predecessors widely used for that type of races with a huge success.

Above L30, below Figaro 3
But no, the boat chosen was the L30, a boat never used for solo or duo race and with good reason because it is not suited for that, being a boat that needs a crew to be raced fast.

And who chose the boat and how? That is a good question since nobody who understands something about the type of boat suited for solo/duo sailing would chose a 30ft boat with only 2.5m beam.

The L30 lacks the initial stability that is necessary to make a sailing boat suited for solo or duo offshore racing, initial stability that makes it a more stable platform to work and an easier boat to sail.

They don't say how the boat was chosen, not even if there was a contest and what were the other chosen boats for trials and who made them. I suspect that there was no serious comparative trials performed by top solo/duo sailors.

They say only that "The boat has been trialled by some of the world's leading sailors including Charles Caudrelier (FRA), Ian Walker (GBR) and Abby Ehler (GBR)". And are these the leading sailors to trial an offshore duo boat?

Class 9.5 (Akilaria
Only one of them has a vast experience with duo and solo boats (Charles Caudrelier) and I am very curious to hear his opinion about this choice but could find nothing, neither any comment from him regarding the boat.

The other two never raced endurance duo offshore or solo and have no experience regarding this type of boats and certainly if top solo/duo sailors had participated on this choice (as they should) they would have be mentioned, but they were not. A very sad affair that shows the sore state of sailing as a sport. A pity and a shame for all of us that love sailing as a sport.

Note that I find the L30 a nice sailing boat and I have posted on this blog about it, it is not about the boat, it is about the use they want to give it. Look at the two videos below and you will see the diference between a boat that needs a crew to go fast (L30) and a solo/duo boat (Figaro 2) that can go fast solo. https://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com/2018/02/l30-racing-and-cruising-on-fast-lane.html


7 comments:

  1. Dehler updated its website for the Dehler 30 OD (i guess, so far, only in German). Seems like the more exciting 30ft approach...
    Anyways, is there any other recent <34ft boat calling itself a racer-cruiser and having wheels instead of a tiller?
    TWO wheels on 2,5m width. A bit smaller and they could have recycled steering wheels from cars...

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    1. Yes, unpractical a two wheel set up on a boat with a 2.5m beam.

      The Dehler looks even better on the new drawings. I hope this boat to bring more German sailors to duo or solo racing.

      Probably it will be on the Silverruder but I would like to see it on the Transquadra too.
      https://www.yachts.group/de/dehler/modelle/dehler-30-one-design.html

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    2. Can you do an update post on the Dehler 30 OD? I'm blown away by the sailplan, it's like a mini VOR 65.

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    3. Sure, it is an interesting sailboat and I am very curious to see how it will sail against the other fast boats of that size that are already on the water or that will be soon: the JPK 10.30, the Sunfast 3300 and the J99.

      I will wait from the first results in competition to make a new comparative post. I really hope they sell well in a way that will allow to see them competing on the main IRC, solo and duo races, including the Transquadra and the Silverruder.

      Besides I am already in Greece preparing my boat for the sailing season and soon I will close the blog leaving a board saying: out sailing! LOL

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  2. More about the boat selection for the Olympiques with "World Sailing" saying it wants to prevent an "arms race" in what regards a boat selection. It seems to me that an "arms race" it is a good thing for sailing, allowing to select from various boats the best one....unless the boat iis already chosen LOL

    "Under current Regulation 23.1.3(e), the selection of equipment for the Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore event for the 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition must be made by 31 December 2019.

    Reasons
    1. The Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore event has to be an event aimed at testing the
    offshore sailing skills of athletes and should not allow an equipment ‘arms race’.

    2. The equipment selected for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games should be selected as late as possible to ensure there is no arms race.

    3. A ‘long list’ of equipment should be approved at the Council at the 2019 Annual Conference.

    The ‘long list’ will include equipment that meets the key criteria for the Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore event.

    4. The ‘long list’ will ensure that the will include equipment that meets the key criteria for the Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore event."

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  3. How does this boat compare to the Beneteau first 27 SE?

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  4. Different boat. In regatta I believe the L30 will do better, For cruising and racing the First 27SE is more interesting.

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